Monday, February 23, 2009

UFC 95 may not of had a title fight, but the card delivered. In what was the most entertaining card of 2009, we saw 6 KO's, 2 submissions and only one decision in the 9 fights that aired on Spike TV.

Mike Ciesnolevicz def Neil Grove via sub (heel hook)- R1, 1:03- Mike C tried for a takedown, but was unsuccessful with Grove landing in top position. From there both fighters went for leg locks, with Grove looking for a straight ankle lock. Mike C got a heel hook close to his body and when he torqued it the knee appeared to pop and the fight was over. Hopefully Grove didn't suffer a bad knee injury.

Evan Dunham def Per Eklund via TKO, R1, 2:13- Dunham took a punch or two before unloading a left hand to the face of Eklund. After Eklund went down, Dunham continued delivering punishment until the ref called the fight.

Junior dos Santos def Stefan Struve via TKO- R1, 0:54- The tall Struve looked like a kid facing an adult in his match with dos Santos. When dos Santos was able to get inside on the taller Struve, it was all over as dos Santos landed a left and right crumpling the bigger fighter.

Terry Etim def Brian Cobb via TKO- R2, 0:10- Terry Etim put on a dazzling striking display as he dominated late replacement Brian Cobb. Etim looked good with varying kicks and punches. Cobb was able to get takedowns on Etim, but couldn't do anything in top position. In the second, Etim landed a kick to Cobb's face then finished him off.

Paulo Thiago def Josh Koscheck via TKO, R1 3:29- In the upset of the night, Paulo Thiago made a name for himself by knocking out heralded fighter Josh Koscheck. Entering the fight as a huge underdog, Thiago took a couple clean shots from Koscheck as the fight began. Kos seemed to be getting the better of Thiago, stalking him around the cage. However, Kos was caught by a nasty uppercut and then clipped with a hook before hitting the ground. The ref stepped in as Thiago knew it was over. Koscheck disputed the stoppage, but the replay showed it was the correct call.*KO of the night bonus awarded to Thiago.

Demian Maia def Chael Sonnen via Sub (Triangle Choke) R1, 2:37- Demian Maia continued to dazzle as he submitted Chael Sonnen. Maia threw Sonnnen with a lateral throw landing in top position. From there, he locked in a triangle, rolled, and then had Maia tapping.*Submission of the night bonus awarded to Maia.

Nate Marquardt def Wilson Gouveia via TKO (Knee and Punches) R3, 3:10- Marquardt was in his element as he had his way with Gouveia throughout the fight. Marquardt consistently landed push kicks, leg kicks and attempted high kicks. Marquardt was able to get a couple takedowns as well. In the third, Marquardt landed a jumping knee and straight punch. With Goeveia backing up, Marquardt threw kicks, a spinning backfist, knees and punches before the ref jumped in to stop the action. Marquardt looks poised for a title shot.

Dan Hardy def Rory Markham via KO (Punch) R1, 1:09- Markham came in looking for another knockout of the night bonus, but that didn't happen. Markham threw a huge overhand right which was countered by a left hook from Hardy. Markham protested the stoppage, but it was justified.

Diego Sanchez def Joe Stevenson via Dec (Unanimous)- In what turned out to be a close fight, Sanchez and Stevenson spent most of the fight trading punches. Diego did enough to win, landing more strikes overall. The closest Stevenson came to victory was a second round attempt at a guillotine choke. *Sanchez and Stevenson win fight of the night bonus.(Diego Sanchez pictured)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Fighter Warehouse is an MMA store that is expanding with the growth of the MMA industry. They have two regular stores in Tampa, Florida and Selden, New York. They also have an online store at fighterwarehouse.com.

In addition to a plethra of t-shirts and other apparel, the Fighter Warehouse features MMA gear like fight shorts, mouthpieces, gloves, pads, gi's and rashguards. My favorite thing is the free shipping to the US and Canada. Check them out if you are looking for some MMA gear.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Here are the results of War Gods: Valentine's Eve Massacre. With Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbott both coming out victorious, it would seem a bout between them will come to fruition. TUF 3 runner-up Josh Haynes won his second fight in a row.

Ken Shamrock def Ross Clifton via Sub (Armbar) R1, 1:00- Shamrock and Clifton circled before Clifton threw some punches. Ken backed off then steped into an overhand right that dropped the 350 pound Clifton. Ken then got into side control before transitioning to an armbar. In his post fight interview, Ken called out Tank Abbott for a fight and told him to put down his beer and get in the gym.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Here is Thales Leites v. Adam Roland from Rumble on the Rock 7 which took place on 5/7/05 in Hawaii. Leites faces Anderson Silva at UFC 97. The fight starts around the 2:30 mark. Former TUF competitor Troy Mandaloniz is the ref.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

UFC Fight Night 17 took place on Saturday, February 7th at the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida. There seemed to be a decent sized crowd and there were some entertaining fights.

Joe Lauzon def. Jeremy Stephens via sub (armbar) R2, 4:43- Joe Lauzon took another step closer to a top contender spot at 155 pounds. In the first, Lauzon was close to a couple submissions from the bottom position, but ate many Stephens punches and elbows. In the second, Lauzon scored a beautiful fireman's carry takedown, got mount to a rolling armbar.*Lauzon wins the submission of the night bonus.(Joe Lauzon pictured)

Cain Velasquez def. Denis Stojnic via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:34- Cain Valasquez was disappointed in his performance, but he looked dominant yet again. Cain battered Stojnic standing with knees and combinations. He was able to get a takedown in the second and punch his way to the TKO.*Velasquez wins the knockout of the night bonus.

Josh Neer def. Mac Danzig via sub (triangle choke) R2, 3:36- Josh Neer handed TUF winner Danzig his second straight loss in the UFC. The stand up battle was pretty even as both dished out punishment. In the second, Neer got a takedown, rained down elbows, and then got a triangle from his back. Neer put the pressure on Danzig the entire bout and looked impressive. *Neer and Danzig win fight of the night bonus.

Anthony Johnson def. Luigi Fioravanti via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:39- Johnson looked shredded at 170 pounds and came out throwing kicks and punches. Johnson eventually overwelmed Fioravanti, who turtled up after a takedown and ate strikes until the ref jumped in.

Dan Miller def. Jake Rosholt via sub (guillotine choke) R1, 1:03-NCAA champ Jake Rosholt was far too reckless in his UFC debut. Not looking relaxed he shot with his head out with his corner telling him to watch for the guillotine. But Rosholt kept the pressure anyway, and Miller was able to sink in the choke.

Matt Veach def. Matt Grice via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:34- This fight was a back and forth affair with Veach nearly losing after eating punishment off his back. After getting up, Veach flattened Grice with an overhand right and then followed him to the ground. Grice thought it was an early stoppage.

WEC 39 will be taking place this Sunday in Corpus Christi, Texas. All fighters have made weight and are ready to go. Here is the line-up of fights:

Mike Thomas Brown vs. Leonard Garcia- This fight is for the 145 pound FW title. Mike Brown won the belt with a knockout of Urijah Faber. Brown (20-4) is riding an 8 fight win streak including fights against Jeff Curran, Yves Edwards and Manny Reyes Jr. Brown usually has a size and strength advantage over most 145 pounders.(Mike Thomas Brown pictured)

Leonard Garcia (12-3) won his two WEC fights, with knock-out victories of Hiroyuki Takaya and Jens Pulver. Garcia went 1-2 in his 155 pound UFC career, with his two losses decisions to Roger Huerta and Cole Miller. The heavy handed Garcia is better suited at the 145 pound division. Look for him to stand and trade.(Leonard Garcia pictured)

Ricardo Lamas vs. Bart Palaszewski- Bart Palaszewski (30-11) was victorious in his WEC debut winning via TKO over UFC veteran Alex Karelexis. He is an IFL veteran with victories over John Gunderson, Ivan Menjivar and Ryan Schultz. Ricardo Lamas (5-0) was a late replacement for Richard Crunkliton. His biggest victory was a decision win over James Birdsley (32-6).(Bart Palaszewski throwing a punch on John Strawn in the IFL)

Marcus Hicks vs. Rob McCullough- Former LW champ Razor Rob takes on former #1 contender Marcus Hicks. McCullough (16-5, 7-3 WEC) is primarily a stand-up fighter who does his best when countering his opponent. Marcus Hicks (8-1) had three straight wins in the WEC before losing a title fight to Jamie Varner. Hicks has a mean guillotine choke and nickname that suits him, The Human Wrecking Ball.

Jose Aldo vs. Chris Mickle- Aldo has looked lightening fast in the striking department in his 3 straight WEC wins. Aldo has 8 T/KO's, and crushed Rolando Perez in his last fight. Chris Mickle (26-11) last won in the MCC beating then title holder T.J. O'Brien. Mickle fights out of Des Moines, Iowa.

Friday, February 6, 2009

According to the Strikeforce website, they have purchased certain fighter contracts and the entire Pro-Elite video library. Pro-Elite's biggest promotion was Elite XC, which made a run at the UFC, but spent too much on overhead and ended up in the hole for over 55 million dollars.

In addition, Strikeforce will take over Pro-Elite's television deal on Showtime. As Showtime is owned by CBS, there is the possibility for 3-4 shows on the major network.

While no fighters were individually named as new to Strikeforce, it can be inferred that Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice will be some of the ones moving. Former Elite XC and UFC veterans Benji Radach and Scott Smith are already set to fight in an upcoming Strikeforce show.

Former Elite XC Heavyweight champ Junior Silva tested positive for a banned substance in his last appearance in Elite XC and subsequently fought in Japan. He is unlikely to fight again in the USA for a long time. Undefeated HW prospect Brett Rogers has yet to fight since Elite XC closed its doors. HW prospect Dave "Pee Wee" Herman has fought twice since Elite XC folded, beating Chris Guillen and losing to Mu Bae Choi in Japan.

The Strikeforce organization was originally run as a kickboxing promotion. With the explosion of MMA, the organization has shifted gears and been quite profitable in the California area. The stars of Strikeforce include Josh Thomson, Cung Le, Phil Baroni, Kazuo Misaki and Duane Ludwig. Alistair Overeem is still the HW champ of Strikeforce despite fighting in K-1 and Dream since winning the title.(Cung Le pictured)

Monday, February 2, 2009

UFC 95 will be taking place this Saturday in London, England. Lucky for us fans, the event will be shown live on Spike TV. All fighters made weight and will be ready to go tomorrow.

Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson- The main event pits two TUF champs against eachother in a 155 pound bout. This will be Diego's first match at 155 pounds. I expect Diego to try to keep the fight standing, attempting to utilize his reach advantage. Stevenson will likely try to take the fight to the ground looking for ground and pound.

Sanchez (19-2) has been on a roll beating Luigi Fioravanti and David Bielkheden in his last two bouts. Previous to those bouts, Diego lost two decisions to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, while battling a staff infection that took a chunk out of his leg. Diego has big wins against Kenny Florian, Jorge Santiago, Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan.(Diego Sanchez pictured)

Joe Stevenson (29-9) enters this bout needing a win to stay relevant as a contender in the 155 pound division. In his last three bouts he has lost to #1 contender Kenny Florian, beat Gleison Tibau, and lost a title fight with BJ Penn. Stevenson has been fighting since he was 17 and has big wins over Melvin Guillard, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Luke Cummo and Kurt Pellegrino.(Joe Stevenson pictured)

Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham- This fight pits hometown English fighter Dan Hardy (20-6) against hard hitting Midwestern brawler Rory Markham (16-4). In Markham's debut, he destroyed Brodie Farbar with the nastiest head kick of 2008. He will be looking to brawl and get the KO of the night. In his 16 wins, he has 11 KO/TKO's and 5 submissions. Markum's big wins have come over Brad Blackburn, Pat Healy and Mike Pyle.(Rory Markham gif)

Dan Hardy is a solid fighter with technically sound stand-up. At 6 feet tall, he usually has a reach advantage when he fights. Hardy won a razor thin split decision over Akihiro Gono in his UFC debut. Hardy's big wins have come over Hidetaka Monma, Chad Reiner and Daniel Weichel.Dan Hardy pictured

Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt- A win by each of these 185 pound vets would put them that much closer to a potential title shot. Marquardt (27-8-2) is a former King of Pancrase who has gone 6-2 in the UFC. In his last fight he overwelmed Martin Kampmann in a first round TKO. Marquardt has victories over Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, Joe Doerksen, Kazou Misaki and Yves Edwards. Look for Marquardt to take Gouveia to the mat.(Nate Marquardt pictured)

Wilson Gouveia (12-5) started at 205 pounds in the UFC before moving down to the 185 pound division. The American Top Team fighter mainly can strike and has a BJJ blackbelt. Gouveia has 7 submission and 4 (T)KO wins with victories over Jason MacDonald, Jason Lambert, Jon Fitch and Seth Petruzelli in his career.

Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen- This bout would seem to be a grappling war. BJJ blackbelt Demian Maia has made everyone he's fought in the UFC look out of his league. Chael Sonnen is a superb wresler who will probably stand and trade with Maia, using his wrestling to keep the fight standing.

Demian Maia (9-0) has dazzled submitting each of his four UFC opponents. He has wins over Nate Quarry, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman and Ryan Jensen in the UFC, securing submission of the night honors three times. Maia also won the 2007 ADCC submission grappling 83 KG division.

Chael Sonnen (21-9) has gone 7-1 in his last eight fights beating Paulo Filho in an odd bout in the WEC. Since the 185 pound division dissolved, Chael made the jump to the UFC, his second stint in the promotion. Chael's career has seen him defeat Tim Credeur, Amar Suloev, Trevor Prangley and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago- TUF 1 alumnus Josh Koscheck (12-3) is coming off a highlight reel KO victory over Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Josh is a highly decorated wrestler who has devoted himself to learning the striking game. Koscheck has victories over Diego Sanchez, Dustin Hazelett and Dave Menne in the UFC.

Paul Thiago (10-0) is a relevative unknown in this fight. He has fouht primarily in the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight. This will be his first fight in the United States. He has 7 submission victories with a win over Luis Dutra Jr.(7-2) and Ferrid Kheder (10-4).

UFC 94 turned out to be a decent show with great top billed fights. With an estimated 14,855 people showing up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I watched the fights on ppv and will be interested to see how many ppv buys the event had. GSP v. Penn has been hyped since last year and my guess is that the advertising dollars paid off.

Clay Guida def Nathan Diaz via Dec (Split)- Guida came to the fight with a high energy and smothering style to win the split decision. Diaz was able to land some heavy strikes and knees, but couldn't get anything really going. Guida won the fight by being able to get Diaz' back, get takedowns and better position. Guida now has three straight wins since his loss to Roger Huerta.*Guida and Diaz win Fight of the Night.

Karo Parisyan def Dong Hyun Kim via Dec (Split)- In my opinion, Kim got the short hand of the stick in this fight. Kim won the first round by getting Karo's back, throwing down hammerfists, and almost getting Karo stuck in a Kim triangle choke. The first round that was decisive as the second and third round were very hard to score. I would give the second to Karo and the third to Kim. In dropping the decision, Kim learned a lesson not let the fight go to the judges scorecards.

Jon Jones def Stephan Bonnar via Dec (Unanimous)- Jon "Bones" Jones looked athletic and unorthodox in his second straight win in the UFC pushing his record to 8-0. Jones landed a suplex in the first while trying to get Bonnar's back. Jones also connected with a spinning back elbow and a vicious knee. Jones didn't let up, tossing Bonnar to the mat, getting takedowns at will, and throwing good knees throughout the fight to win the unanimous decision. With some more training and experience, Jones will continue to progress and develop into a force.

Lyoto Machida def Thiago Silva via KO (Punches) R1, 4:59- Machida took his time early on before connecting with a kick and knee to the body. After a brief time for a knee to the groin, Machida was able to land consistent combinations and takedowns. Right before the end of the round, Machida landed a left right combination and dove in for one more punch. Absorbing the impact, Silva is out for the count as the ref called the fight. Machida did a good job silencing his critics as he systematically took Silva apart.*Machida wins KO of the Night.

Georges St. Pierre def B.J. Penn via TKO (Corner Stoppage) R4, 5:00- GSP simply overwelmed BJ Penn en route to an eventual TKO at the end of the fourth round. St. Pierre was able to dominate the fight with takedowns, ground and pound and connecting on his feet. BJ almost was able to get a couple submission attempts going, but they never really came close. BJ ate way too many elbows and punches in the fourth and when he went to the corner they called the fight.GSP is now a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame. He has five straight wins including over Matt Hughes for the interim title, Matt Serra to unify the title, and defending against Jon Fitch and BJ Penn. A fight with Thiago Alves looms, as well as speculation of a potential fight with Anderson Silva.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Here are two title fights from the Masakazu Imanari library. The first is Imanari v. Jean Silva for the Cage Rage title which took place on March 8, 2008. The other is against Robbie Olivier from Cage Rage on February 10, 2007.

MMA Legend Ken Shamrock (27-13-2) was one of the sports first stars and his fights in the 90's were some of the biggest in the world. Ken entered the MMA scene after going to Japan to enter pro wrestling. He began training in submission wrestling and the rest is history. In his fighting debut, Ken beat MMA Legend and mentor Masakatsu Funaki via arm triangle in Pancrase's first show in September of 1993.

In his next two Pancrase fights, Ken beat eventual 50+ fight veterans Kazuo Takahashi and Takaku Fuke via submission. Ken next entered the first ever UFC tournament, beating muscle bound kickboxer Patrick Smith via heel hook in less than two minutes. In his next fight, Ken got a takedown on Royce Gracie but ended up getting choked out.

Prior to his foray into the WWE in 1997, Ken boasted a (23-5-2) mixed martial arts record beating some of the game's best. He has gone (4-9) since his return from professional wrestling in 2000. Ken'strategy of slugging it out with his opponents has not worked.

In addition to his prowess as a fighter, Ken is also a great trainer. Ken was one of the first fighters to really push the camp name. At the Lion's Den, Ken has developed some excellent MMA talent that have excelled inside and outside the ring including Mikey Burnett, Vernon White, Jerry Bohlander, Tra Telligman, Pete Williams and Guy Mezger. In Ken's last fight, he defeat 350+ pound Ross Clifton.

Georges St. Pierre might be in trouble after a round ending rub down. Greg Jackson and coach Phil Nurse are being accused of "greasing up" St. Pierre with vaseline to nullify Penn's jiu-jitsu game.

In between rounds and before the fight it is common practice for fighters to have vaseline applied to their eyebrows to prevent potential cuts. Nurse applied vaseline to his St. Pierre's eyebrows in between the rounds and before the fight.

However, it was observed from the crowd that Nurse put vaseline on St. Pierre's eyebrow then rubbed St. Pierre's back. It is not known how much vaseline was still left on Nurse's hand. It is unclear what the Nevada State Athletic Commission will do in this case.

The ball would seem to be in BJ Penn's corner to file a formal complaint with NSAC. The commission would then determine what occurs. It is possible that NSAC could overtun the result of the fight to an NC.

Would vaseline have helped in the fight? I highly doubt it. GSP looked to be the more game fighter at UFC 94. He was stronger, bigger and faster than Penn and seemed to control all the action. But, there is a possibility that a Penn submission was harder to accomplish. It will be interesting to see what happens as new facts come to light.(funny gif found on photobucket)

*It appears that the UFC will now only allow state mandated cutmen to apply vaseline to fighters in all future events. The fighter will get the vaseline applied immediately before entering the octogon.

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